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CBA RECORD
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distinct age-groups interacting, but often
speaking different languages. Baby Boom-
ers are interviewing Millennials with Gen
Xers down the hall and Centennials on the
way. How does that impact any given firm
or the practice of law generally?”
Alternative Dispute Resolution.
This committee
will focus on the pros and cons of ADR.
In Judge Mulroy’s observation, docket
overcrowding led to a fundamental shift
in focus by the judiciary. “Twenty years
ago, judges went from hearing cases to
managing
caseloads.” This led to a wide-
range of ADR innovations. But Judge
Mulroy senses that the legal community
must keep in mind the purpose of ADR.
Is it to move cases along, or to provide an
inexpensive forum for handling disputes?
If it is the latter, is ADR truly serving that
end, or would some parties be better off
staying in court.
Judicial System.
This committee will explore
access to justice for civil proceedings in
state court. For example, it will address
issues related to “ghost-written pleadings”
as well as the role and complexities of “lim-
ited representation,” where an attorney is
engaged for a specific motion. It will also
address issues such as technology in the
courtroom. The committee’s proposed
recommendations, however, cannot come
with a prohibitive price tag. “Our courts
are financially strapped. So the solutions
this committee proposes cannot involve
the expenditure of already-strained court
resources.”
Law Firms.
This committee will address
common issues confronted by law firms
of all sizes, from large mega-firms to solo
practitioners, and will include issues such
as billing, ethics, training, and mentoring.
New Business Structures.
This committee will
focus on the rapidly changing legal indus-
try and confront issues such as artificial
intelligence and the role of non-lawyers in
the legal profession.
Mental Health Series
Judge Mulroy is concerned with mental
health issues, how they impact the justice
system, and, most importantly, how the
justice system impacts those suffering
mental illness. “We all know someone with
a mental illness. It is critical that judges and
attorneys get involved in this problem, to
make sure that the justice system is help-
ing to create solutions and not adding to
the problems.” With Mark Epstein, Judge
Mulroy has developed a seminar series on
this subject that revolves around a practi-
cal, hypothetical situation and ways loved
ones, police officers, attorneys and judges
can deal with the issues presented. “Mental
illness presents an opportunity for law-
yers to view the law in the context of the
broader society.”
Continuation of the Curbing the Violence
Summit
The gun violence epidemic continues to
plague Chicago, and Judge Mulroy wants
the CBA to work toward remediating the
continued on page 56
At podium of special luncheon for Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, with Chief Judge Timothy C.
Evans, Circuit Court of Cook County, and Monsignor Kenneth Velo.
At the Justice John Paul Stevens Awards luncheon, with Justice Stevens and Seventh Circuit
Court of Appeals Judge William J. Bauer